this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2025
168 points (90.8% liked)

Technology

73567 readers
2922 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemmy.world
technopagan@lemmy.world
L4s@lemmy.world
L3s@hackingne.ws
L4s@hackingne.ws
168
Startup Claims Its Fusion Reactor Concept Can Turn Cheap Mercury Into Gold (gizmodo.com)
submitted 6 days ago by UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
76 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Last week, Marathon Fusion, a San Francisco-based energy startup, submitted a preprint detailing an action plan for synthesizing gold particles via nuclear transmutation—essentially the process of turning one element into another by tweaking its nucleus. The paper, which has yet to undergo peer review, argues that the proposed system would offer a new revenue stream from all the new gold being produced, in addition to other economic and technological benefits.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Gladaed@feddit.org 26 points 6 days ago (6 children)

This is stupid, but not for the reasons you would think.

The energy required to change lead into gold is bigger than their difference in price.

[–] Allero@lemmy.today 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

But this reactor turns mercury into gold, and is meant to produce power.

[–] Gladaed@feddit.org 2 points 6 days ago

Mhhh. Would have to check the binding energy per nucleon charts. Might work. I automatically read lead.

load more comments (4 replies)